RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: No relocation assistance available
CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes
CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret
TRAVEL: No
DescriptionWe are looking for you to join our team as a Principal/Senior Principal
Compliance Checker based out of Baltimore, MD, supporting the Hardware/Mechanical Drafting and Board Design organization.
Full-time telework may be considered for this role.
This role may be filled as a Principal Compliance Checker or Senior Principal Compliance Checker.
The Compliance Checker is a core member of the eCAD / drafting team responsible for
independent design reviews of schematics (SCH), printed wiring boards (PWB), and circuit card assembly (CCA) drawings. You will partner closely with board designers, hardware engineers, and mechanical designers to verify that designs comply with applicable standards, design rules, and internal best practices before release to fabrication and assembly.
What You'll Get to Do- Perform formal compliance reviews of SCH, PWB, and CCA drawings and associated documentation against NG standards, customer requirements, and industry standards (e.g., IPC, ASME Y14.5).
- Verify PCB layout rule adherence - Check layer stack-up, trace/space, impedance rules, via usage, keep-outs, test-point strategies, fiducials, and other layout constraints.
- Check schematic quality and consistency - Confirm that reference designators, net names, symbols, and connectivity are correct and consistent with BOMs and downstream documentation.
- Validate drawing packages - Review title blocks, notes, callouts, dimensions, tolerances, views, and drawing formats for correctness and completeness across PWB and CCA drawings.
- Apply DFM/DFA guidelines - Ensure designs reflect manufacturability and testability considerations consistent with PCB fabricator/assembler capabilities and program requirements.
- Document and track findings - Generate clear review comments and checklists, work with designers/engineers to resolve discrepancies, and maintain records of compliance status.
- Support configuration control - Verify that released data (Gerbers/TGZ, drill files, PDFs, 3D models, etc.) aligns with the drawings and PLM/CM baselines.
- Contribute to standards and best practices - Provide feedback to improve checklists, standards, and review workflows; help drive consistency across programs.
- Mentor and guide team members - Share best practices for "right-first-time" documentation and design compliance; provide coaching to junior board designers and drafters.
This position is contingent on the ability to obtain/maintain an active U.S. Government Secret clearance or the successful transfer of one, prior to start.
Basic Qualifications for Principal Compliance Checker- Bachelor's degree with 5 years of experience, master's degree with 3 years of experience, or Ph.D. with 1 year of experience in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, or related technical fields; an additional 4 years of related experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
- U.S. Citizenship is required.
- Ability to obtain/maintain a US Government Secret clearance.
- Minimum of 5 years of experience in PCB design, drafting, or engineering support involving SCH, PWB, or CCA documentation in a high-reliability, high-complexity environment (digital, mixed-signal, or RF).
- Minimum of 5 years of hands-on experience with at least one major PCB/ECAD tool suite (e.g., Mentor Graphics/Xpedition, Cadence Allegro/OrCAD, Altium, or equivalent) sufficient to interrogate designs and documentation.
- Minimum of 5 years of working knowledge of relevant industry standards, such as IPC-2221, IPC-6012/6013, IPC-7351, and ASME Y14.5 (GD&T) as applied to PCB/CCA drawings and documentation.
- Demonstrated ability to perform detailed technical reviews and clearly communicate findings to cross-functional teams.
Basic Qualifications for Senior Principal Compliance Checker- Bachelor's degree with 8 years of experience, master's degree with 6 years of experience, or Ph.D. with 4 years of experience in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, or related technical fields; an additional 4 years of related experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
- U.S. Citizenship is required.
- Ability to obtain/maintain a US Government Secret clearance.
- Minimum of 8 years of experience in PCB design, drafting, or engineering support involving SCH, PWB, or CCA documentation in a high-reliability, high-complexity environment (digital, mixed-signal, or RF).
- Minimum of 8 years of hands-on experience with at least one major PCB/ECAD tool suite (e.g., Mentor Graphics/Xpedition, Cadence Allegro/OrCAD, Altium, or equivalent) sufficient to interrogate designs and documentation.
- Minimum of 8 years of advanced working knowledge of relevant industry standards, such as IPC-2221, IPC-6012/6013, IPC-7351, and ASME Y14.5 (GD&T) as applied to PCB/CCA drawings and documentation.
- Proven experience leading formal design/drawing reviews and driving closure across multiple stakeholders and programs.
Preferred Qualifications for Principal/Senior Principal Compliance Checker- Active US Government Secret clearance.
- Expert-level experience with Mentor Xpedition or other enterprise-class ECAD tools for viewing, probing, and reviewing designs.
- Experience reviewing high-speed digital (≥5 Gbps) or RF/microwave PCB designs.
- Familiarity with HDI, array/complex BGA, and high-pin-count connector designs and their associated documentation challenges.
- Experience with power electronics or high-current PCB designs and the related documentation standards.
- Working knowledge of 3D mechanical integration tools (e.g., NX, SolidWorks, Enovia) to verify mechanical clearances, envelope, and interface constraints.
- Demonstrated success in quality, configuration management, or design assurance roles supporting complex hardware development.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills; comfortable presenting review findings and recommendations to cross-functional teams and leadership.
Northrop Grumman provides a comprehensive benefits package and a work environment which encourages your growth and supports the mutual success of our people and our company. Northrop Grumman benefits give you the flexibility and control to choose the benefits that make the most sense for you and your family.
Your benefits will include the following: Health Plan, Savings Plan, Paid Time Off and Additional Benefits including Education Assistance, Training and Development, 9/80 Work Schedule (where available), and much more!
Primary Level Salary Range: $98,900.00 - $148,300.00
Secondary Level Salary Range: $123,400.00 - $185,000.00
The above salary range represents a general guideline; however, Northrop Grumman considers a number of factors when determining base salary offers such as the scope and responsibilities of the position and the candidate's experience, education, skills and current market conditions.
Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay. Annual bonuses are designed to reward individual contributions as well as allow employees to share in company results. Employees in Vice President or Director positions may be eligible for Long Term Incentives. In addition, Northrop Grumman provides a variety of benefits including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, Company paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business.
The application period for the job is estimated to be 20 days from the job posting date. However, this timeline may be shortened or extended depending on business needs and the availability of qualified candidates.
